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    ivan2015's Avatar
    ivan2015 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Apr 18, 2015, 09:27 AM
    Communication weak during beginning of 2nd interview
    Hi All ,

    I have a question and I am asking for recommendation/direction on how to assure/persuade the manager that I am a good fit for a position .

    I went on my second interview and my nerves got the better of me for a little while . I answered the questions well but did not use good communication because I was a little nervous and the job meant a lot to me .
    The other candidate is not as strong technically but is a little better in communicating .
    I indicated in my first interview that communication was not my strong poing and what I am doing about this... i.e. . Presenting to the organization monthly .

    What can I do do help myself now.. the job means a great deal to me . I am a single earner for my family and I got a little nervous and I need some help .

    The decision has not been made yet but I need to reassure the IT Manager that I am a great fit .

    Can I send him and email with all my accomplishments and Letters/emails of reference ?
    What else can I do .

    Thank you kindly

    John
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
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    #2

    Apr 18, 2015, 01:33 PM
    What's done is done at this point. Also, none of those you mentioned have any place in the selection of the best candidate for the job, it's a business and not a charity.. Jumping up and down at this stage is going to call attention to your weaknesses and not your strengths. The job is IT, not public relations. If you weren't able to express your qualifications sufficiently by the end of the second interview... then its too late for this one if there if there were better qualified people that could... that would make them better candidates for the position.

    Hate to say it but that's life, and that's why companies interview for positions. They want the best qualified person, not the most needy. I've been part of the people that interview people after their primary interview and offer my professional feedback to the HR. Second guessing yourself and doing what you want to do come across as someone uncertain and unfamiliar with the job, and possible even make it appear you were embellishing or padding your resume. All things you want to avoid doing.
    ivan2015's Avatar
    ivan2015 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Apr 18, 2015, 02:17 PM
    I respect your answer , but I don't agree with you 100 %!
    Not all people can talk like salesmen and politicians, some people are better at listening and doing what needs to be done . I find that people who talk a great deal come across , as just that , big talkers...

    Thanks
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
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    #4

    Apr 18, 2015, 03:43 PM
    It's an interview... its your one shot to sell yourself. Blow it and you blow you chance with that employer. The employer has a fairly short period per prospective employee. Time is money. Also the person who can't sell themselves during the interview... most times will not be any better doing the job on average. BIG Talkers are not convincing to those who know the job and the inside terminology. If you don't know the job you aren't going to use the terminology appropriately. A BS'er will put their foot in their mouth every time in an interview with someone who really does know the job well.

    I can definitively say that because I'm a degreed engineer 34 years experience, I put prospective people through the wringer after the intitial interviewer does their part. They might not know the intricacies of the job in many cases... that's why several people like me talk to them... you simply can not BS your way through an interview in my area of specialty. Pretend to and anyone who knows the field well will spot it instantly.
    Let them catch you and you automatically disqualify yourself in their eyes. They will not tell you when it happens. But they WILL tell the principle interviewer and you don't get called back.

    How many interviews at how many employers have you done, how many of those have gotten you offers? How many employers have you worked for? Over my working career, I've worked at 7 major employers in those 34 years (since college), I've turned down over 50 offers over that time. When I'm asked to put my feedback on prospective employees... I may get the 10 they like most... I will pick one of them and give reasons I want them and reasons I don't want them for each and every one. I won't be alone in doing this... I don't want anyone I feel won't pull their weight... because the less they do, the more I have to do. And my reputation is on the line if I pick someone not the best... because my choice reflects upon me... good or bad... mostly bad... if they turn out to not be as good as everyone else... I will hear it over and over again.

    Like I said...its one shot to sell yourself....no do-overs. I don't waste time, I don't take anyone's word for anything. Far too many people lie and embellish resumes. Pad them with experience they don't have...if they haven't done the job, they will not use the lingo in the correct context each time...its a dead giveaway. A big talker will sink themselves really quick, faster than anyone else. Another reason is I have a job to do..one that still needs done after I talk with them...its not a social club, I am really good at sizing people up and reading them face to face. And I do have a lot of face time with customers....even though I am not a salesman either. Its the one job I've actually never had in my field.

    I have a long row of awards 've gotten, many of them from my customers, others from my employer for how I have handled major customers and their issues...Major for me is MILLIONS of Dollars per month in revenue... Not hundreds or thousands.

    And yes....I have interviewed outside of my home country and outside of my native language...and came out ahead of ALL the native speakers. That's a far more difficult thing to accomplish when you can't use the nuances of the language to sell yourself.
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
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    #5

    Apr 18, 2015, 05:44 PM
    What is acceptable is to write a one sentence thank you, saying that you very much appreciate the interviews, and are hoping that they accept you.
    Do NOT add anything about yourself. Do not say you forgot one more thing. Do not say you are worried about your communication skills.

    What you can add is some tidbit of knowledge that you have discovered by reading more about the company, and which makes you want to work for them even more. Hopefully you researched all about them before your first interview. What you know about THEM can be just as impressive as what your resume says about you.

    But again, keep it short, and don't be fake about it. A stat about their growth rate in 2014 being very good, something positive... again short!
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #6

    Apr 18, 2015, 08:08 PM
    I agree, you get one shot at that impression. You need to practice and practice interview questions and possible answers. You need to find ways to relax. And yes often the person who communicates better, even if less skilled may get the position, because the interview person likes them better.
    talaniman's Avatar
    talaniman Posts: 54,327, Reputation: 10855
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    #7

    Apr 19, 2015, 08:08 AM
    Your interviews are over, and while a thank you is appropriate, better to wait and see. Trust me if you got called for an interview, and got a second, they already KNOW your resume, and qualifications, and no need to remind them, or repeat it.

    Relax and wait.
    ivan2015's Avatar
    ivan2015 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Apr 20, 2015, 09:43 AM
    I appreciate all the comments , very helpful . What are some good ways to relax ? and not get flustered ?
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
    current pert
     
    #9

    Apr 20, 2015, 10:45 AM
    Applying for a job goes against everything most of us were taught. You need to sell yourself in a way you don't use anywhere else - brag, essentially, but in a polite, eager way. You are ACTING. You are working out before hand a lot of what you will say, and not just sit there passively waiting for questions.
    HALF "I'm the best person for this job because I am good at this and that, have done this and that, and I work well with others. I have a good work ethic and like to get the job done instead of running out the door each day."
    HALF "You are my favorite company for what I am interested in, have followed your progress, and am sure I would be an excellent fit."

    You are asking how to relax and not get flustered, two questions that say a lot about a passive approach. Go on the offense. Don't sit there during pauses while the person flips through papers (they aren't really reading; it's your job to repeat all of it, and to fill in pauses with sitting on the edge of your chair eagerly selling yourself.

    Oh, and unless you are in the final interview with the head of the group, this person is just a regular person, with all the same problems we all have. Heck, even the CEO has problems. Imagine the person in front of you with a duck on his head and food dribbling all down his face. Get creative.
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
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    #10

    Apr 20, 2015, 05:33 PM
    In addition.. I also view it like buying a car... don't go in with the attitude of I HAVE to get this specific job... there are a long list of behaviors and habits that will follow that are very hard to hide... view it like that person you wanted to ask on a date... that used car you was trying to negotiate a lower price on (the ability to negotiate a lower price is inversely proportional to the visible desire you show that you want it). Basically don't put all your eggs on one basket.

    It also helps to have applied to enough other jobs to have had more than one interview with other companies. Its easier to be more relaxed if you've had ten different interviews , sort of like if you've dated ten different women that year... vs only getting one date from one.

    Also like previously mentioned... these are real people... Your best shot is being natural and being yourself. You come across best, and if being yourself isn't a good enough match... then you wouldn't be if you got it.

    Getting the job isn't as hard as keeping it. Do your best, relax and know life doesn't end if you don't get it. I've found the best jobs I've had were the ones I thought I was least likely to get.

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